Growth programme to spend 21 million euro on integrating candidate countries
Representatives of the Fifth Framework programme's Growth programme decided on 3 July that 21 million euro is to be spent on facilitating the participation of candidate countries in current research programmes, Ezio Andreta, director of the Growth programme told CORDIS News. The money is to be spent over two years, and is likely to be matched by similar amounts from the Fifth Framework programme's other research programmes. Mr Andreta believe that over 100 million euro will be allocated to the integration of candidate country researchers in research projects. The Commission will issue a call for proposals relating to this issue in the near future. Ten million euro will be allocated for the selection of the best research centres, in order to integrate them into the EU's networks of excellence, Mr Andreta told CORDIS News. In addition to this, one million euro will be devoted to scholarships. It is hoped that this will increase the number of graduates and PhD students in the candidate countries, thus making participation in EU projects easier for candidate countries. Mr Andreta emphasised to CORDIS News that many of these countries don't have high quality research institutes or infrastructure, 'but they have brilliant people'.